No need to wear face mask for single person driving a car or doing exercise: Health Ministry
04 Sep 2020 03:05:54
By Priyanka Sharma :
NEW DELHI,
A SINGLE person driving a car or a person doing exercise/cycling alone does not have to wear a face mask. However, if there is more than one person in a car and group of people are exercising then wearing a mask is a must to avoid the spread of COVID-19, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. There are no guidelines from the Union Health Ministry on wearing a face mask when a person is driving a car alone or a person is doing an out-door exercising/cycling alone.
However, if there is more than one person in a car and group of people are exercising then wearing a mask is a must to avoid the spread of infection, said Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary on Thursday. Bhushan replied in response to a question raised--if it is mandatory for a person to wear a mask while driving a car alone or a single person doing exercise. “In the last few days, people have gained awareness of the benefits of physical activities. We have seen people are doing cycling and exercise or jogging in groups. It is mandatory for people to wear masks and follow social distancing when they are in a group while exercising or jogging, so that they do not infect each other.
“If a person is cycling alone, then he does not require to wear a mask as there is no such direction from the Health Ministry,” said Bhushan during a weekly media briefing on COVID-19 update in India. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic in India, the Government has made the wearing of mask compulsory for every person as a preventive measure to contain the spread of infection.